Prostitutes clean up streets in Murcia

MURCIA, Spain, May 13 (UPI) -- Prostitutes helped clean up the streets of Murcia, Spain, in an effort to draw attention to new legislation that they say may hurt their business.

A number of prostitutes worked alongside nuns from the Oblatas convent and volunteers to clean up the area where they work, called Transport City, on Sunday, The Local.es reported.

The vice-president of the Sex Workers' Support Committee, whose name was not reported, said the proposed bylaw is aimed at curbing prostitution and sexual exploitation and would damage the livelihood of sex workers in Murcia.

"We understand that there are places where we can't carry out our business, especially in urban areas," she told the regional newspaper La Opinion de Murcia. "But that's not the case with us out here in Transport City where there are hardly any houses."

"We've spoken with neighbors and local business owners and the headmaster of the local school and they've told us that there's no problem as long as we follow some of the requests that they've made, such as sticking to a timetable and keeping the streets clean," she said, adding: "That's why we decided to hold a clean-up day. We wanted to show that we aren't a problem for society and that we want to get on well with everyone."

The bylaw was "not made to persecute the women who work in this profession," said Nuria Fuentes, who proposed the legislation.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.